Vice President Joseph Biden speaks on health care as Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (l) and Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (r) listen at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House July 8, 2009. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

| Feb. 14, 2012

What Did CHA's Carol Keehan Know and When Did She Know It?

Register news analysis: As threats to religious liberty escalate, critics say it’s time to establish who truly speaks for the Church in the United States.

JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Feb. 10 confirmed that his administration was offering an “accommodation” to religious groups opposed to a controversial federal rule requiring private health plans to provide contraception and abortion services.

As reported in the media, church-affiliated employers would not have to directly cover those services; instead, their insurance plans would cover them.

The announcement prompted an expression of gratitude from Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, and a polite, but wary response from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which said they needed to study the proposed modification.

That evening, the bishops’ conference formally rejected the president’s “accommodation” as essentially meaningless.

For the rest of the weekend, amid a blur of news headlines and talking heads that offered conflicting judgments, the faithful in the pews struggled to determine what, if anything, had changed regarding the administration’s policy.

The contrasting responses from the CHA leader and the USCCB have left Catholics and the general public confused about who speaks for the Church on a matter of grave institutional concern and whether the Obama administration exploited a lack of clarity about that matter.

The dueling positions have fueled questions about the basis of Sister Carol’s endorsement: USCCB officials and health-care experts have since confirmed that the government has not issued any binding regulations that legally override the controversial contraception mandate finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 20.

Subsequent media coverage and interviews suggest that while the White House cleared its talking points with Sister Carol in advance of the president’s public address, the USCCB had been excluded from the administration’s deliberations.

“Obama has made clear who is part of his ideological coalition and who is not. Discussions on the structure and restructuring of the contraceptive policy were conducted between the administration and pro-choice and feminist groups. The institutions targeted by the mandate — particularly those represented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — were not in the room,” stated Michael Gerson in a column published in The Washington Post today.

“The administration engaged in no substantive consultation with Catholic bishops, who were only called to receive pronouncements. Interest-group liberalism is alive and well in the Obama White House,” Gerson wrote.

Special Treatment?

However, media reports suggest that Sister Carol received special treatment from the White House. A Feb. 10 New York Times story reported that the president’s “accommodation” was designed specifically to address Sister Carol’s concerns, not those of the U.S. bishops.

“The fight was for Sister Carol Keehan — head of an influential Catholic hospital group, who had supported President Obama’s health-care law — and Catholic allies of the White House seen as the religious left,” reported the Times.

Richard Doerflinger, the U.S. bishops’ chief lobbyist on life issues, confirmed that the conference had not received the relevant documents regarding the reported “accommodation” until Friday evening and that more information arrived on “Saturday, Feb. 11, at 5:27pm.”

After the close of the Friday workday, said Doerflinger, the conference was finally able to sift through all the documents — only to conclude that nothing of substance had changed since the HHS final rule was approved last month.

That same rule had been “finalized without change,” said Doerflinger, who stressed one single point: “The only thing that has force of law is that same final rule. It’s still in place. The rest is something that might happen.”

The administration informed the USCCB that “some time in the coming months we will issue new rulemaking for organizations that are not exempt from the mandate,” Doerflinger said.

“An organization that morally objects to these services is not exempt,” said Doerflinger. “It is not able to give its employees a plan without this contraception mandate.”

In striking contrast to the USCCB’s conclusion, Sister Carol greeted the president’s “accommodation” with enthusiasm. Her support was touted by the administration and cited in media coverage of the breaking story.

By Feb. 11, the White House blog had posted statements from Sister Carol, Catholic Charities USA and Planned Parenthood supporting Obama’s “accommodation.” However, the Catholic Charities USA statement, a modified version of that organization’s original and more enthusiastic response to the president’s move, could not be described as an endorsement.

Sister Carol, however, has not modified her response to the president’s overture. From the beginning, her endorsement asserted that religious-liberty concerns had been addressed.

But she did not specify how the president’s action had met the concerns of church-affiliated institutions, including the members of her association.

Did Sister Carol receive additional binding assurances or was she simply trusting the president to make good on his promise to a faithful ally?

A review of the CHA website suggests that its CEO and president does not, in fact, have all the facts. A new statement assures anxious members that the organization “will review the proposed new rules for the HHS mandate.”

“CHA looks forward to reviewing the specifics of the changes in the mandated benefits. Many members have called with questions about these since they were a concern as first published. On Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, we were notified that our organizations would not have to buy or refer employees for contraception and other services. We were also told that the self-insured plans would be accommodated in this. At this time, there are many unanswered questions about specifics. We now have the challenging work of reviewing the proposed rules, examining their impact and giving input before they are finalized.

“Because many members have asked about specifics in the rules and also the process for applying for the one-year exception, we have included links to the rules and to the guidance on the safe harbor with this email.”

“As more is known about this, we will be getting that information out to the membership as quickly as possible,” read the new statement.

But if the CHA has not established the specifics of the “accommodation,” why did Sister Carol endorse it?

Sister Carol did not respond to a request for clarification. Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth, Texas, the episcopal liaison on the CHA board, referred requests for comment to the CHA.

It is still not clear whether the board approved Sister Carol’s statement on Feb. 10, as Sister Carol and Bishop Vann did not respond to questions regarding this point.

Who Speaks for the Church?

The confusion and possible institutional damage generated by Sister Carol’s public endorsement have led some Catholic experts in the health-care field to demand an accounting.

“On the basis of what information and what authority did she issue this endorsement? It’s embarrassing from a policy standpoint,” noted Paul Danello, an expert on civil and canon law issues in Catholic health care, who has received calls from Catholic hospitals worried about the implications of the HHS final rule.

“If the CHA board hasn’t authorized this, if she has no mandate from the USCCB, and if there are no legally binding documents, she is operating without any legal, governance or regulatory basis. That is a hell of a situation for a Roman Catholic nun that heads the Catholic Health Association to be in.”

Danello says it’s past time for Church leaders to address Sister Carol’s public statements and actions with regard to the formal Church policy on a complex and critical issue.

“It’s the right hand fighting against the left hand,” he said. “Who is speaking for the Church here? The Church needs to get its house in order.”

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Posted by Alex Majthenyi on Monday, Aug, 27, 2012 2:16 PM (EDT):

“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people…. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops like bishops and your religious like religious.”

Fulton Sheen 1972

Posted by Anthony on Sunday, Jun, 17, 2012 4:13 PM (EDT):

Matthew,
Si, senor!

Posted by Matthew on Saturday, Jun, 16, 2012 8:46 PM (EDT):

Mr Vidrine, the USCCB does not need to be the only spokesperson for the American Catholic Church.
There is no such thing as the American Catholic Church.
There is only the Catholic Church.
The notion of an American Catholic Church is similar to the the notion of radical feminism. Both notions make no sense.
No Catholic bishop is obliged to listen to or agree with the USCCB. Before that council that happened in the 60s, there were no national councils of bishops that made decisions or policies that every Catholic Bishop in every diocese had to observe.
Bishop must only report to the Holy Father. That rule still stands.
The USCCB is responsible for the present state of the Catholic Church in America.
The USCCB is a total failure and by it’s unhealthy tolerance and even preference for non-Catholic opinions, radical feminism, heretical priests, etc., has all but promoted defiance. We see now the fruits of their “communal” actions.
“Sister” Keenan gets a salary over $900,000?
I guess the vow of poverty just wore itself away.
The Catholic Church in America is dying from tolerance.

Posted by Rian Gorey on Tuesday, Apr, 3, 2012 11:25 AM (EDT):

I just read CHA’s Statement of Identity:

“As the church’s ministry of health care, we commit to:
Promote and Defend Human Dignity
Attend to the Whole Person
Care for Poor and Vulnerable Persons
Promote the Common Good
Act on Behalf of Justice
Steward Resources
Act in Communion with the Church”

They are committed to “ACT in Communion with the Church.” It is time for a new statement in support of the bishops by the CHA.

Posted by Rian Gorey on Tuesday, Apr, 3, 2012 11:22 AM (EDT):

Today is April 3rd. Where does the CHA stand today after nearly a two month review of the mandate. It is time for an updated statement in support of its Catholic mission.

Posted by rosemary on Saturday, Feb, 25, 2012 8:50 PM (EDT):

Sister keehan must be doing satans work. and what about our dear Pelosi? are our bishops dead? or asleep?

Posted by james on Thursday, Feb, 23, 2012 2:02 PM (EDT):

Delano:
Religious “orders” started with the Desert Fathers, like St. Anthony of the Desert long before the sixth century. Even the Essenes — St. John’s the Baptist was part of them — in Christ’s time (before the Bible) could be considered an “order.” I think they came about as the Church and Her members reflected on the life of Christ and how best to live it out. They are not for everyone and yes, I think there is always that possibility of becoming your own “Church” if you let arrogance and such hold sway.
Look at the traditionalists. I agree with many of the things they espouse: true liturgical worship and reform, etc. What happened to a few, though, is they went overboard and believe THEY ARE the pope, the Church, etc.

Posted by lkc on Sunday, Feb, 19, 2012 5:02 PM (EDT):

Joan, you are spot on as always. The USCCB needs to be very clear that “Sister” Carol Keehan does not speak for the Catholic Church any more than does Nancy Pelosi, Martin O’Malley, or any cafeteria Catholic who supports positions opposed to Church teaching.

Posted by HermitTalker on Sunday, Feb, 19, 2012 10:46 AM (EDT):

Seems my last comment was dropped/censored/lost. St Paul spoke of the tension within himself between wanting to do what he did not and its opposite. That is the tendency we aree have as flawed humans. It in no way denies the Catholic doctrine that we are not “massa damnata”(Luther) - totally evil, incapable of free will to cooperate with Grace. The Luther image of the stinky garbage that is covered over by snow, Christ’s merits and grace. look at the two translations of ” PEACE on earth goodwill to men = Protestant; versus the correct catholic translation PEACE on earth to (men) of good-will. Read your St Thomas Aquinas or the CCC please.

Posted by Terah James on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 9:02 PM (EDT):

HermitTalker - I found Lector’s comments so salient and well-thought out, I decided to allow him/her to respond for me, even though your comments were directed toward’s my last post.

So I don’t see how you can ask if Lector read your posts, in light of this. It was I that brought up the Letter to the Romans. Lector understood my point, from his/her post. He/she simply disagrees with you about people being basically “good”.

I disagree with you too. Paul wrote that inside of him lay no good thing. James wrote that if we say we do not sin, we lie and we do not have the Holy Spirit within us, nor do we walk in the light.

We sin, because we are sinners. Before the Holy Spirit drew us to Jesus, we were all dead in our sin. We were not sick, HermitTalker, we were dead. Dead people cannot do anything for themselves, but rot.

It is by God’s grace that we’re “saved”; it is written, “There is no one righteous. No not ONE.” Outside of Jesus, of course, who is righteous, because He is 100% God, 100% man, and was born without sin.

So we sinners are credited with Jesus’ righteousness, by faith, which is a gift to us, from God. We all deserve death: the wages for our sin is death. Jesus paid that debt for us, satisfying God the Father’s wrath, on our behalf.

Posted by HermitTalker on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 4:11 PM (EDT):

The ” no room for” was the revolt-amation undderstanding of flawed human nature and grace. LECTOR did you actually read my posts, same for some others on here re Romans and Catholic theology?

Posted by Lector at Mass on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 3:08 PM (EDT):

HermitTalker: “No room for becoming Christ-like?” Really? Isn’t that why we pray for people like Sr. Carol, Planned Parenthood and those who support abortion like Pelosi? By grace, and when they come out of darkness and walk in the light this is the path of sanctification and how we become Christ-like. “Apart from me,(Jesus) you can do nothing.”

Posted by HermitTalker on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 3:06 PM (EDT):

Did you read my Luther image before you provided a totally false understanding of catholic theology and an erroneous interpretation of Paul’s Romans.? I have faithfully practiced, studied and believed in Catholic theology-Bible-liturgy for a long time.

Posted by HermitTalker on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 1:55 PM (EDT):

Luther’s image of grace is very enlightening. humans are like the medieval family home dump, full of rot and filth. JESUS’ merits are like fresh snow on top of that, humans are obliteratd and Jesus takes over. No room for becoming Christ-like, growing less me and more Him, or “divinised” as the Eastern Church expresses it.

Posted by Lector at Mass on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 1:53 PM (EDT):

@HermitTalker, Terah James is correct. Paul’s letter to the church at Rome explains our fallen nature thus we are “not” good. If (as you say) “we are good” Jesus would not be needed as our Savior. The true sinful condition of man (and how he is saved) is explained by Paul in Romans. Everything in life should be seen and understood in the context of Paul’s entire letter. This entire DHHS matter, Obama, Jay Carney, David Axelrod, Pro-Abortion Catholics, Sr. Carol, Pelosi and all the others are under deception. Whom do you think is influencing the thinking of these individuals? It is the rulers, powers and principalities of this ever-present darkness who wander the earth in search of the ruination of souls. Proverbs 14:12 describes these people exactly—“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.”

Posted by HermitTalker on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 1:06 PM (EDT):

TerahJames; I have certainly read, prayed over and taught Romans for a long number of years in different settings. It does not say we are totally evil, “massa damnata” as Luther put it and the Calvinists and brought that crud across the ocean and still plague us here with that “dour, sour” religion as one Scots woman put it in a Scotttish-Irish musical programme. Genesis said GOD MADE IT AND IT WAS GOOD. All of creation, and human activity, healthy sexuality within marriage, fun food, dancing and even playing bingo, and football on Sundays if you have any awareness of the stuff that passes for religion with a lot of them.. The CATHOLIC CHURCH champions the basis thought that we are GOOD by creation but tend to evil, that is a major difference between Catholic and Protrestant theology. It is why we are SACRAMENTAL people because we honour, love and reverence creation and use wine and oil and bread in them. IT is also the major reason why we have a proper place for GOOD WORKS, because we are capable of cooperating with GOD’S PLAN and show love to our hurting neighbour for love, in thanksgiving for the precious gift of faith. GIFT. GRACE. Given freely and accepted by a person who has free will to say yes, not so corrupt as Luther said so we cannot say yes.

Posted by HermitTalker on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 11:06 AM (EDT):

Just received THE CATHOLIC KEY blog from the KC-ST JOSEPH diocese. It reports a new Senate proposed state move to challenge the HHS and Obama Care. To me it was a well done effort to set out the exact facts of the illegality of it all. For the severe negative comments about the US bishops, they are actively involved all the time in such efforts before their State Legislatures. As to the clergy sex abuse, check the current facts in your state or nation about state schools, CURRENT stats. not fifty years as the various national bishops’ conferences did. Then see how one catholic cleric makes page 1 while seven abusive rabbis made page 7 in the NYT as we saw on ETWN from Aarchbishop Dolan of NY several weeks ago.

Posted by k C Thomas on Friday, Feb, 17, 2012 12:25 AM (EDT):

I am at a loss to understand why the so called Carol Keehan starts a “Carol Health Association” and challenge the Catholics and their Bishops. It is time to remove her from the Convent. The Catholics of America should think whether they can consider a lady who works against Catholic authority as a catholic and a member of a religious congregation. shame, shame carol

Posted by Terah James on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 10:41 PM (EDT):

Hermittalker, you wrote, “We are good, tending to evil..”

Have you ever sat down and read all of the Book of Romans? If so, how can you square what it teaches with what you think?

My second question is that if we are all free to interpret the Christian faith, by picking and choosing what we think is good, then why can’t Sr. Carole and Fr. John Jenkins do the same thing?

I believe we need to follow the teachings that were handed down to the faithful in the Epistles, and not just look at the Gospels. The “fullness” of the faith include the Epistles.

Posted by Leone on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 9:20 PM (EDT):

Not only should Sister Carol Keehan and Fr. John Jenkins be fired and publicly reprimanded but they should be used to make the stronger statement that the Catholic Church has credibility, which has extensively deteriorated due to: the pedophile scandals, the rejection from many US Bishops, priests and nunsof Humanae Vitae (evident dis-communion with Peter and the Holy See), by the many Bishops, nuns and priests that are pro-choice, pro-gay marriage or avowed liberal theologians, by the silence of the Bishops in front of the scandal given by Fr. Jenkins and Sister Keehan… the Bishops, priests and nuns have a lot to answer.

Posted by maggie on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 5:06 PM (EDT):

How can she still be considered a nun? Shouldn’t she be excommunicated?

Posted by vance on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 4:58 PM (EDT):

I join the chorus of people who are asking why is Keehan still a nun and at the head of CHS? She has a long history of being against the church and needs to be kicked out ASAP. John Jenkins??? Why is he still a priest and President of Notre Dame University?? He needs to be kicked out ASAP.

Posted by Hermittalker on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 4:45 PM (EDT):

lectoratmass: I cannot find another post that questioned my reply to not wanting to ead the 1908 book, which did not answer my question as to what was in St Pius X’s Pascendi. I was trained in the classical European schools so we were quite familiar with all that mixture of true and half-true and false data from that era. My comment was that those early scholars where perfectly orthodox, but the scare about modernism caught them up- just as McCarthyism hurt a lot of innocent citizens, there in the USA, even if his hearings did unearth a few socialist-communist leaning people. but the scare was way-overblown. I am more of a Catholic-St Thomas Aquinas believer. We are good, tending to evil, I do not share the Calvinist-Luther fake theology, we are all evil and the world is totally evil. That prevents me from seeing bad guys everywhere and being more alert and aware to make distinctions. Many of the comments on here are so negative, gossipy, slanderous, and are therefore keeping the writers and this blog from being positively capable of addressing the issues. Jesus did not teach like that.

Posted by Rafael on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 4:39 PM (EDT):

Lector at Mass,

Great points! My concern is that all these Democrats have been so conditioned that the Democrat party is the party “for the poor” and that the Republican party is the “party for the rich people” that they will NEVER vote Republican. And I would argue that many times the Republican party has sold out conservatives by selecting a moderate candidate who caves on the social issues that are at the heart of Evangelicals and other pro-Christian groups. What’s ironic is that the Democrat party IS the party of the rich and they are the “party of the poor” because they want to keep the poor in poverty by taking other people’s money - except their own. Without saying, the Democrats are also the party of the Culture of Death with Emperor Nero at the head…

Posted by HermitTalker on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 2:56 PM (EDT):

The Hippocratic Oath from a Greek physician, demanded the physycian not cause an abortion. It is ignored today, as one would expect, or explained away. It therefore pre-dates Christianity. There is no explicit refrence to abortion in the OT/HS except that one who causes an abortion is to pay the father for damage to his property, as was the undsefrstanding of the time, the women and farm animals were all “property.” The explicit ban on birth control in Leviticus and the emphasis on children being a blessing would not have required any explicit law given that the Natural Law was presumed in the entire culture of the Middle East, given the time-conditioned cultural understanding of the times.

Posted by Lector at Mass on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 2:37 PM (EDT):

@HermitTalker: You might consider the Holy Spirit is NOT leading us due to the poor leadership the Catholic church is under. Example: The current generation of weak men appointed Bishop by John Paul II and muchado about nothing to tweak the Mass while Rome lays in waste dealing with sex scandal payouts and sell offs of local parish real estate. American Catholics repeatedly continue to elect the Senator Leahy’s, Dodd’s, Biden’s, Daschle’s, Durbin’s and hordes of Congress people like Pelosi, Panetta, Governor’s Cuomo, Sebellius, Schwarzenegger, & Brown (for the second time)—and more including putting Obama in the White House. ALL these people are Democrats. Pro abortion and Pro gay marriage. Not that Republicans have a halo around them, but the reality is that pew Catholics better examine what these Democrats stand for instead of just voting for them because they identify as Catholic. Consider the Catholic church is currently **under judgment** rather than grace. The Lord did that to Old Testament Israel many times when they went astray. If the Lord is doing anything, He is revealing the stench inside the church in order to purge the stink out. Consider we are reaping what we have sown. Consider the majority in the collective body of Bishops are not Spirit-led but moreover, are worldly driven. They are unable to lead and are ill equipped to do so. And for this, JP2 is on a fast track for sainthood? We in the pew have always been “conditioned” to follow these men in pointy hats with a shepherd staff and fancy vestments. Jesus faced the same people in His time. They were called Pharisees who were more concerned with church laws, rituals, incense, concentrating power, authority and having people bow down and kiss their rings. Our Bishops enjoy people kissing their hands and associating with the high brow movers and shakers in your diocese. We are under judgment right now—not grace. When is the last time your parish Pastor spoke up for righeousness? They are afraid to. They are more concerned with not alienating anyone and reducing the Sunday collection basket. Refer to 2 Timothy 3:5 “They have a form of righteousness while denying the power thereof.”

Posted by HermitTalker on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 2:29 PM (EDT):

HUMANAE VITAEby HH Paul V1, means OF HUMAN LIFE. There is ONE SENTENCE in it that says “Every ac of intercourse is to be open to the transmission of human life.” The prophetic connection he made between chemical and barrier methods of preventing contraception ( since then the actual intentional abortifacients have been developed) as he predicted would lead to further physical and moral evil. Practicing birth prevention by various means is not new, neither is abortion and the killing of newborns. But all that is so widespread today, and legally sanctioned, and chemcails and barriers and abortion are more reliable, NOT 100 reliable and not moral, so the culture is so conditioned in various ways to accepting them as being “safe”, okay and moral because legal. SOME OF YOU seem to forget that Federal Law at present prevents use of tax dollars to pay for abortion. That was what was implied, if not explicit in the ObamaCare plan. We cannot fault the CHA or administraors or the bishops for trusting that would prevail along with the POTUS’ guarantees. They are not to be trusted now as Cdl T Dolan said after his breach of promise by Mr. Obama. But that came just recently.

Posted by Rafael on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 1:57 PM (EDT):

HermitTalker,

I agree. The focus should be on the evil of this Obama administration. They’re the ones who keep bringing these “catholics” to the center stage. Prior to this administration, I had never heard of Sr. Keehan. She was irrelevant. At least when Bush was in office, he was respectful of the office the Church hierarchy. And thanks to having ture Catholics on board, he was able to appoint some true Catholic justice to the Supreme Court.

Posted by Mary@42 on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 1:47 PM (EDT):

Here is the Catholic Church consistent Teaching against Abortion from the very beginning and it has never changed. that pseudo Sister Keehan and all the fake Catholic in the Obama Administration ARE NOT CATHOLICS. “The recent indignity by which the Obama administration wants to mandate everyone, including all Catholic institutions or their insurers, to pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, has raised the issue of Catholic teaching on these issues.
Some commentators have mistakenly asserted that the Catholic ban on these practices only goes back to Humanae Vitae (On the Regulation of Birth), by Pope Paul VI in 1968, or as far back as Casti Connubii (Of Chaste Wedlock), by Pope Pius XI in 1931.
The latter encyclical was written in response to the change of moral doctrine by the Anglican Church, which undermined centuries of Protestant condemnation of contraception by permitting it at the Aug. 15, 1930 Lambeth Conference.
Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae in response to the then newly invented birth control pill, rejecting it as a legitimate means of contraception for Catholics. However, these encyclicals, along with the 20th century’s nearly 100 other Vatican statements condemning artificial birth control, were simply restating the continuous history of moral theology on this topic.
Catholics do well to know this history of moral teaching on contraception and abortion to back up our position against the mandate, as well as to know better how to live the Catholic faith. Therefore, we will present some of the texts from the patristic (early Christian) sources to demonstrate how early was the Christian rejection of these practices, known widely in the Greco-Roman world.
The earliest reference to contraception and abortion is in the Didache, a document from the second half of the first century or early second century. Didache reads: “You shall not practice birth control, you shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill what is begotten” (2).
Many translations read “practice sorcery” because the Greek word sometimes has that meaning (see Wisdom 12:4, Galatians 5:20, Revelation 18:23). However, it also means practice medicine or use poison, and the term may refer to contraceptive measures, as is the case in a number of the following texts.
Another early text is the Epistle of Barnabas: “You shall not slay the child by procuring abortion, nor shall you destroy it after it is born” (19). This also shows that the earliest Christians forbade abortion.
In the second century, St. Clement of Alexandria wrote in the Paedagogus (2.10.96): “Women who resort to some sort of deadly abortion drug kill not only the embryo, but along with it, all human kindness.” This passage supports our translation of the Didache by mentioning the use of drugs to induce abortion.
In 177, Athenagoras of Athens wrote in the Supplication for the Christians: “And when we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle should we commit murder?”
This is the first of many patristic texts identifying abortion with murder, thereby indicating a high value to the personhood of the fetus. Tertullian’s Apology in 197, while he was still in union with the Church, says, “In our case, murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth.”
Tertullian was himself a married man and understood the dignity of the fetus in the womb.
In the third century, Minucius Felix (226) wrote in Octavius: “There are some women who, by drinking medical preparations, extinguish the source of the future man in their very bowels, and thus commit a parricide before they bring forth” (30).
Around 228, St. Hippolytus wrote about unmarried women, including some reputed to be Christians, who became pregnant from illicit relationships. In his Refutation of All Heresies, he says, “Whence women, reputed believers, began to resort to drugs for producing sterility and to gird themselves round, so to expel what was being conceived on account of their not wishing to have a child either by a slave or by any paltry fellow, for the sake of their family and excessive wealth. Behold, into how great impiety that lawless one has proceeded by inculcating adultery and murder at the same time! And withal, after such audacious acts, they, lost to all shame, attempt to call themselves a Catholic Church” (9.7).
He considers their behavior an effectual refutation of their status as Christians. A document known as the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles reads “You shall not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten; for ‘everything that is shaped and has received a soul from God, if it be slain, shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed’” (7.1).
This states the belief that the fetus has a soul and its life must be protected from conception forward.
In the fourth century, the Latin and Greek authors addressed these issues. St. Augustine wrote On Marriage and Concupiscence (419). Though he was already the bishop of Hippo when he wrote it, he is equally famous for having lived with a concubine for 14 years and had a son with her. Therefore, he had an experience of living in a sort of family and he learned from his mistakes. He wrote: “I am supposing, then, although you are not lying [with your wife] for the sake of procreating offspring, you are not for the sake of lust obstructing their procreation by an evil prayer or an evil deed. Those who do this, although they are called husband and wife, are not; nor do they retain any reality of marriage, but with a respectable name cover a shame” (1.15.17).
St. Basil the Great wrote in his First Canonical Letter, Canon 2: “The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. With us there is no nice enquiry as to its being formed or unformed. In this case it is not only the being about to be born who is vindicated, but the woman in her attack upon herself; because in most cases women who make such attempts die. The destruction of the embryo is an additional crime, a second murder, at all events, if we regard it as done with intent” (374).
The reason he mentioned the “nice enquiry as to its being formed or unformed” is that some theologians thought that the rational soul did not develop in the fetus until the third month or even later. St. Basil simply notes that this is not an issue because at any stage the destruction of the embryo is a “crime” and a “murder.” Pace Nancy Pelosi, who had claimed that since St. Augustine had thought that the rational soul began late in the pregnancy, therefore abortion would be acceptable in the early stages. St. Basil shows that such false reasoning was unfounded.
St. Jerome, Letter 22 to Eustochium (396), said: “Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world, laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ, but also of suicide and child murder. Yet it is these who say: ‘Unto the pure all things are pure; my conscience is sufficient guide for me.’ A pure heart is what God looks for” (13).
Here St. Jerome denies that the conscience of the abortion is a sufficient guide. As will be clarified in later centuries, the conscience must be correctly formed so that the Lord can truly find a pure heart in the individual.
Not only did many of the great theologians address abortion and contraception, but so did some councils. The Council of Elvira in Spain (305) decreed two canons forbidding the sacraments to women who committed abortion: “If a woman becomes pregnant by committing adultery, while her husband is absent, and after the act she destroys (the child), it is proper to keep her from Communion until death, because she has doubled her crime” (63). Canon 68 reads: “If a catechumen should conceive by an adulterer, and should procure the death of the child, she can be baptized only at the end of her life.”
A similar decision was reached at the Council of Ancyra (314): “Concerning women who commit fornication, and destroy that which they have conceived, or who are employed in making drugs for abortion, a former decree excluded them [from Communion] until the hour of death” (29)
None of the Fathers or councils offer contradictory opinions on contraception or abortion. Popes Pius XI, Paul VI and Blessed John Paul II were simply presenting the teaching of the Church in the same line of thought that began in the earliest generations, continued through the Middle Ages, and was taught by the Protestant reformers. (Martin Luther called people who use contraception “logs,” “stock” and “swine.” John Calvin said contraception was “condemned and “doubly monstrous,” while abortion was “a crime incapable of expiation.”)
The popes have called the Church to a moral and holy approach to marriage and the conception of children. We form our conscience in the light of this constant tradition, and we teach and live it by the graces God gives us.
On this basis we insist that the government allow us complete freedom to practice our religion and its precepts.”

Posted by Peter on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 1:45 PM (EDT):

I worked for a Catholic healtcare system during the debate over “Obamacare”. In a forum on the bill for system executives, I asked Sr Carol about the then pending legislation and abortion. My recollection of her answer was that she had been “assured” by the administration that there would be nothing in the Bill that would embarass the Church. She took solace, as I recall, in the Stupak Amendment. My impression then and now was that Sr Carol and the CHA chose commerce over Catholic morality. The CHA wanted to support its member hospitals by securing the promise of reimbursements for charitable care - care given consistent with the Mission of Catholic hospitals. At the time, I understood her business sense but was more dismayed by her moral accommodation. Obamacare was not the answer to lowering costs for health care in general or for Catholic hospitals in particular. And both the law and Sr Carol are at odds with Catholic teaching.

My only question is this: How can we take our bishops (or the head of religious order) seriously, when they continue to allow Sr. Keehan to provide cover for the very issues they urge us all to oppose. Sr. Keehan is not an administration official, she is a professed religious under the authority of either a bishop or the head or her order. Why is her public dissent from the Church allowed. I find it hard to believe the bishops are serious when the one person they can influence is given free rein. Sr. Keehan should either go back to her order for prayer and reflection that would bring her back into harmony with the Church’s teachings, or stop publicly professing herself as a Catholic. This is the very heart of scandal.

Posted by HermitTalker on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 10:08 AM (EDT):

MANY POSTS ON HERE ARE WAY TOO LONG, SOME ARE REPETITIOUS. BLASTING SR KEEHAN AND FR JENKINS AND THE BISHOPS AS I JUST WROTE ARE WASTING TIME AND POISONING THE POSITIVE GRACE-FILLED EFFORTS TO SORT THIS OPPORTUNITY. THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US.

Posted by HermitTalker on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 10:05 AM (EDT):

More slamming the USCCB which has, as a group, and through their conference staff, and various chair-bishops of its relevant committees addressed Congress and the whole Catholic population. Individually each bishop in his own local Church/diocese, has given leadership and instructed his clergy and other leaders about what the Church teaches. The bishops in each State have Catholic Conferences to educate their people and work with their own state government to guide, correct and nhelp draft legislation that satisfies the Natural Law.

Posted by Mary on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 3:02 AM (EDT):

Sister Carol is an administrator trying to keep her hospitals open. Sister is not a Church authority, just an administrator.

.
I am a Catholic who struggles to make it to Mass. The sex abuse, the lying by the heirachy, and frankly, Catholic lite, even at Mass have all piled on to make it hard to make it to Mass. And, as another commentor said, there are public officials who call themselves Catholic, but fight FOR abortion, free birth control, and such. I love my Church, I want my Church to speak the truth, I want my Church to stand up for what is right, and for me, it would be really helpful to have those public officials publicly addressed by the Bishops.

I would be so thankful to have some priests and bishops with spines. Use this time to teach the faithful - make it “a teaching moment”. Please.

Posted by Castellina on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 1:34 AM (EDT):

I remember watching “Sister” Keehan’s interview on The World Over and being aghast: this woman is a master of double-speak.
She was instrumental in the passage of Obamacare, truly an abomination whose rotten fruits we are only beginning to see.
Drunk with self-importance and emboldened by the fact that she got away with her defiance of the Bishops, is it any wonder that she does it again? Did she go too far this time? One can only hope.
The enemy is very much within the Church as well as without. Read “The Catholic National Reporter” to see the depth of deception of the radical “Catholic” left. Among their contributors they boast a lesbian with a degree in “divinity” and of course “Father” McBrian and “Sister” Cittister, all pushing their radical feminist, homosexual, pro-abort agenda.
Let’s begin by denying the title “Catholic” to these entities that are out to destroy the true Church of Christ. Our prayers should be with the Bishops, may they remain strong and united in this battle.

Posted by john on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2012 12:39 AM (EDT):

What happened with the visitation for sisters? This sister and her likes have done enough damage already. How sad that the once great religious orders who have served our country for so long are now destroying our church. The rank and file Catholics have tried to fight for our faith only to be ignored by the clergy and bishops. When was the last time you heard a sermon on contraception? On right to life day are priest said go out and have an ice cream and enjoy life. However, the Bishops are now finally standing up lets stand up with them and show them it is the rank and file who they can count on. After all it was the Pope who said we may have to become a smaller church, but a church that stands for something.

Posted by ThristforTruth on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:12 PM (EDT):

It is no “accident” that President Obama has filled his Administration with nominal Catholics like Biden, Sibelious and his Ad Hoc Catholic Committee of Advisors with them. The “mystery” is why most of the USCCB is cowed by these heretic/schismatics into almost total silence! The same group that brought us the sex scandal is miring our Church further into the muck of this secular society by their inaction and indifference ( only 170 Bishops out of over 400 have responded) The Bishops, as an organization, sold out Jesus Christ for political benefit as far back as the the 1930’s with their support for the Democrats ..and the New Deal. They have been ineffective for the most part since then. Can we hope for something radically different from them now? When a little Daughter of Charity calls their bluff twice now and their response is abject silence?
Perhaps they need more time to deliberate (translate: stall and delay)to come to a consensus. What an august body of deliberation leading the flock! No wonder most Catholic women are contracepting ..and few bother
showing up for Sunday liturgy! My quess? They are now rated lower than Congress, that other body of dubious deliberation!

Posted by veritas on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:48 PM (EDT):

“Sister” keehan is well paid for her obsequiousness to the grand master of Baal ... the travel; all the fawning media; the invites; the cameras ... must be quite a buzz; too bad she can not recognize how truly meaningless all this tinsel is.
“Sister” keehan it is long past time to “cowgirl up” ... next time the secular media lines you up for another gig why not smile into the camera and say:

Mr. Obama you promised; you promised! I held the piece of paper in my own hands and waved it in front of Pelosi’s Democrat House and Reids Democrat Senate; It read “No Abortions in our Time” ... I personally helped turn the wavering “pro life” Democrats to the dark side ... Mr. Obama you lied to me. Mr. Obama you lied to America.

Posted by Joe Sazl on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 9:41 PM (EDT):

I am appalled by this nun, and how she was so clearly exploited by liberal news outlets, most notably NPR and the New York Times. Religious like this pull everything to the left, and do serious harm to the Catholic Church.

I think of many monasteries in the United States, most notably St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville Minnesota, who house monks, priests and nuns like Keehan. If our bishops are going to stand up to Obama and Sebelius, two politicians who have blood dripping from their hands, they should also stand up to religious who assent to these policies.

They should also ask the Vatican to call for apostolic investigations of these individuals, and these monastic communities immediately.

Posted by Kyle on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 9:29 PM (EDT):

Below is a link to the list of CHA board members. It would be nice to know if they approved Carol Keehan’s statement of approval of Obama’s accomodation, and it was be nice to see the proof that they approved it.

It is also thanks to liberal (female) “keepers of the gate” at seminaries that brought us weak seminarians. At Mass last Sunday, our pastor was proud to announce from the pulpit, “You know, I do not get involved in any politics.” 50% of our parish is happy to just have priests “bring them Jesus” in the Eucharist, while they close themselves off to the world
or JOIN IT.

I just read a poll that over 60% of the USA agrees w/ President Obama about birth control and the abortion inducers being free and available. Seems like none of those people SEE the connection between what Obama proposes and the LOSS of Religious FREEDOM in the USA.

It’s time for REAL MEN to step to the plate and speak out. Activate the Knights of Columbus again! Catholic men: rein in your wives, or rue the day you let HER wear YOUR pants. I’m a woman, so I can say that.

I think ANY like=minded person, be he/she Catholic, Reformed Evangelical, non-denominational Christian, or Orthodox Jew needs to join forces in this effort, and LEAVE differences aside (like “we have the fullness of the truth, and you don’t”) The horse has left the gate, and this time, it’s dangerous. United, we stand. Divided, we fall. A Christian’s goal is to honor God.

Posted by Egbert F Bhatty on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 8:21 PM (EDT):

Actually, neither Sister Carol Keehan nor the Catholic Bishops speak for the educated Catholic. Note: educated. Educated Catholics speak for themselves. Educated Catholics are against abortion. It is the killing of a baby. But, educated Catholics refuse to impose their views on others. In other words, Abortion/Contraception is between a Woman and her God. And, the Catholic Bishops have no locus standi in the matter. Egbert F Bhatty

@mary ann isbell who wrote: “Why is anyone listening to carol keehan anyway?” It’s the same Catholics who have worshipped at the altar of anyone named “Kennedy” for the last 60 years. Now we have new Catholics to bow to like Pelosi, Biden, Sebillius and Obama Chief Kommissar: David Axelrod. This would not be an issue had Bart Stupak of Michigan not caved and voted for Obamacare. Catholics indeed? Maybe when they all went to grammar school 60 years ago.

Posted by F.R. Duplantier on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 7:10 PM (EDT):

It’s obvious enough that a person can sin by doing something wrong, somewhat less obvious that he can sin as well by not doing something right. The Catholic Church, in its infinite wisdom, distinguishes between sins of commission and sins of omission, and condemns them both.

It was an understanding of the sin of commission that prompted protest three years ago when three lay Catholic organizations issued an alert to their members encouraging them to support the socialistic healthcare “reform” legislation being drafted by Congress. Provisions relating to abortion and euthanasia, among others, made that legislation completely unacceptable for Catholics, and support for it sinful.

Spokesmen for these organizations expressed surprise at the protest, denied that they were supporting what they clearly had supported, and accused their critics of being disingenuous and deceitful. In other words, they compounded their first sin of commission by committing at least two more: lying about the obvious implications of their support and slandering the faithful Catholics who had called them on it.

What escaped widespread notice and protest was the fact that the leaders of these organizations were also guilty of the sin of omission. In addition to doing something wrong, they had also failed to do something right. Not only had they effectively supported abortion with their legislative alert, but, over the course of many years, they had failed to express strong opposition to it. (Had their pro-life sentiments been unequivocally expressed all along, their protestations over the reaction to their alert might had had a more honest ring.)

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, for instance, has published position papers on affordable housing, health care, immigration, fair wages, restorative justice, predatory lending, homelessness, and hunger — but not abortion. Its Voice of the Poor committee purports to speak for the voiceless, but it has never seen fit to speak out on behalf of the one poor person who really cannot speak for himself, the unborn child.

Individual members of the Society who have commented on this omission and sought to correct it have been rebuffed by leadership.

The conferences and councils of the Society make heroic efforts to help unwed mothers and struggling families, but imagine if the Society as a whole truly were a voice of the poor unborn child. Imagine if its 120,000 members in the United States spoke as one in opposition to abortion. Imagine if the national leadership echoed that voice. What an impact they could have!

But no. The issue isn’t even worth a position paper.

Posted by TG on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 7:00 PM (EDT):

I agree with you, Joan. This made me think of the book “The Diaglogue” by St. Catherine of Sienna, which I am currently reading. Last night I read a chapter about God speaking to St. Catherine about priests and bishops that are failing their flock with their scandal and leading them astray. He speaks about bishops that are not disciplining their priests because they are afraid. I wish I could quote it exactly but all I can say is if I were a bishop who does not discipline his dissentient priests and nuns, I would be afraid to die. Let us pray for this nun and others like her that they would repent. Let us all pray for the bishops that they can be strong. CD Dolan is not like Cardinal Bernandin for which we should be grateful.

Posted by mary ann isbell on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 5:32 PM (EDT):

Why is anyone listening to carol keehan anyway, I wouldn’t listen to someone who has the devil on thier shoulders. Too many catholics are wanting their ears tickled. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Posted by Kim on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:57 PM (EDT):

We have no one to blame but our ownselves WE have sinned against Go may He have mercy on us for watering down our beautiful Catholic Faith which He gave us. We have been cafeteria Catholics for to many years by not truly living our Faith and being obedient to what the Church teaches,we have come to this point and time. Lord have Mercy

Posted by Lector at Mass on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:45 PM (EDT):

@The last man—who writes: “Why are not people that constantly flaunt their opposition to Church teaching, ie. mostly Catholic Democrats not excommunicated for their contributions to the abortion cause? —-You’ve got to be kidding, of course? The most prominent are named “Kennedy.” We all know the Catholic church earns far too much $$$ from granting all the Kennedy annulments and remarriages. As for Sister Carol, how about she start wearing a habit? Liberal feminist nuns and weak bishops appointed by John Paul II are now in charge.

Posted by rosemarie kury on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:45 PM (EDT):

We still have a lot of brave bishops. I saw Archbishop soon to be Cardinal Dolan on with Fr. Greshel, and I believe he was trying to give Obama the “benefit of the doubt”, however I think he was being diplomatic. I could tell he was very much against this mandate. What needs to be done is perhaps another “emergency” meeting of the Bishops and ALL of them, not just SOME of them not only condemn this plan but also explain that this doesn’t only involve contraception, it involves the abortion pill AND sterilization! There are too many cafeteria and poorly catechized Catholics. Somewhere the line has to be drawn. Bishops need to inform their priests to begin having workshops on Catholic doctrine and above all to preach it. Sister Carol is a result of ignorance of the Church’s teachings. We are a Church of sinners, but we must realize we will be responsible for our own ignorance or pride that says “no, we will not serve” before the Lord.

I think too many priests and bishops are afraid of losing their congregation’s money if the begin to do this.

Posted by D. Guidotti on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:31 PM (EDT):

For years the Church has been slowly losing the war for the minds and souls of Catholics, due primarily to the timidity of the Church leaders and the cunning and deceitfulness of the secular forces fighting against her. The forces of secularism include many stealth Catholics who over time have infiltrated the Church and attained key leadership positions. Others have attained leadership positions in government, academia, and mass media.
The current HHS mandate presents a golden opportunity for the Church leadership to re-assert their authority as the official Voice of the Church, and to also dismantle the cartel of internal and external secular Catholic renegades who collectively are spreading their personal brand of watered down Catholicism and moral standards. Is it no wonder that Catholics are so confused and upset?
Catholics need to once again see and hear their leaders, beginning at weekly Masses and from the pulpit. They need to know what the real issues are - an attack on religion and religious liberties, NOT what the spin meisters and secular party line says they are (contraception rights or woman’s healthcare). And finally Catholics need to clearly know what is required of them as Catholics. There should be no ambiguity or wiggle room allowed (for making personal interpretations). As a Catholic, the HHS mandate is morally wrong, cannot be supported, and should be overturned.
The Church has always allowed a Catholic the right to follow their conscience, even if it goes against Church teaching. It is called free will. No change there, but if a person doing so happens to be a Catholic public figure (such as a government, academic, or religious leader), whose position therefore could influence other Catholics decision making, then that public figure MUST keep their decision private. If they do not do so and publically oppose the Church’s position, then the Church should take immediate, public, and decisive action (remove the person’s right to take Holy Communion because their public action against the Church put them in a state of serious sin).
The Church leadership MUST stop being timid on conditions of Catholic faith and morals. Of course the Church must always be compassionate, but the Church, through its leaders, also has a sacred and unequivocal mandate to uphold Church teaching and moral requisites.

Posted by David Carlon on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:24 PM (EDT):

It’s the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and we’re stilling trying to figure out who manages the team?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAcccccckkk!

Posted by D. Guidotti on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:14 PM (EDT):

For years the Church has been slowly losing the war for the minds and souls of Catholics, due primarily to the timidity of the Church leaders and the cunning and deceitfulness of the secular forces fighting against her. The forces of secularism include many stealth Catholics who over time have infiltrated the Church and attained key leadership positions. Others have attained leadership positions in government, academia, and mass media.

The current HHS mandate presents a golden opportunity for the Church leadership to re-assert their authority as the official Voice of the Church, and to also dismantle the cartel of internal and external secular Catholic renegades who collectively are spreading their personal brand of watered down Catholicism and moral standards. Is it no wonder that Catholics are so confused and upset?

Catholics need to once again see and hear their leaders, beginning at weekly Masses and from the pulpit. They need to know what the real issues are - an attack on religion and religious liberties, NOT what the spin meisters and secular party line says they are (contraception rights or woman’s healthcare). And finally Catholics need to clearly know what is required of them as Catholics. There should be no ambiguity or wiggle room allowed (for making personal interpretations). As a Catholic, the HHS mandate is morally wrong, cannot be supported, and should be overturned.

The Church has always allowed a Catholic the right to follow their conscience, even if it goes against Church teaching. It is called free will. No change there, but if a person doing so happens to be a Catholic public figure (such as a government, academic, or religious leader), whose position therefore could influence other Catholics decision making, then that public figure MUST keep their decision private. If they do not do so and publically oppose the Church’s position, then the Church should take immediate, public, and decisive action (remove the person’s right to take Holy Communion because their public action against the Church put them in a state of serious sin).

The Church leadership MUST stop being timid on conditions of Catholic faith and morals. Of course the Church must always be compassionate, but the Church, through its leaders, also has a sacred and unequivocal mandate to uphold Church teaching and moral requisites.

Posted by EK Gaetan on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 3:44 PM (EDT):

The Washington Post’s front page LED with Sister Carol’s enthusiastic endorsement of the cynical and irrelevant “compromise.” She harmed the Church’s ability to communicate and created intentional confusion. She should be removed from her function at CHA ... and from her order.

Posted by HermitTalker on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 3:20 PM (EDT):

Why villify Cdl Bernardin? He coined the phrase the seamless garment of life as an analogy- it includes ALL human life, today’s ringing message called the Gospel of Life.
Each bishop is in charge of the ministry in nhis own diocese,the conference of bishops in each nation is a gentlemen’s agreement that they cooperate in matters where they agree and can work together for the common good.

Posted by Steven Kramer on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 2:26 PM (EDT):

For decades the hierarchy of the USCCB has ignored the intrusiveness of liberalism in the lives of the faithful. The last Bishop to warn the laity of this was Archbishop Sheen. Now we have the leadership of Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Chaput, Bishop Lori and others. We should pray to the Holy Spirit to give these men the strength and grace to march on. Second, we should give thanks to Blessed John Paull II and our current Holy Father Benedict XVI, who appointed these me.

Posted by Carol on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 2:25 PM (EDT):

Sister Carol does not speak for the USCCB. Her agenda is against Church teaching and has done much harm by playing into the hands of the anti-Catholic media and administration. At the very least she should be removed from any position of authority.

Posted by BOULETBOULET on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 2:20 PM (EDT):

Is it a stretch to say that many of our Bishops and Nuns have not truly believed in Jesus, much less the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church for the last 50 years or so? I wonder how many of them quietly go along with the program but haven’t believed in anything but secular humanism for the last generation? I remember a story of how Joseph Stalin had recruited priests to infiltrate the Church; and how Pope Paul VI famously exclaimed how the “smoke of Satan” had seeped into the Church. If our Bishops and Nuns and priests are to re-gain credibility with the lay faithful, I want to see a couple of thousand of them behind bars—arrested for civil disobedience; and the sooner, the better. It should have happened, at the least, beginning in January of 1973, when Roe v. Wade was dictated by our Judicial Masters.

Posted by Patt on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 2:12 PM (EDT):

WHY DOES SHE REMAIN AT THE HEAD OF THIS ORGANIZATION?? SHE IS NOT FULLY IN COMMUNION WITH THE CHURCH AND THEREFORE NEEDS TO BE RETIRED———-ASAP!!

Posted by JOHNFRANCIS on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:49 PM (EDT):

The USCCB has clear on this issue. Sister Carol is the CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the USA - she is not the Pope, not my Bishop.
She should learn the meaning of the word “obedience”. If she not sure , then she should check with Christ Jesus. As St. Paul had written, “he (Christ) humbled himself becoming obedient obedient to death”.(Phil 2:8)

Posted by Robert Lydon on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:41 PM (EDT):

Sister Carol is putting her job ahead of her faith. She is the cardinal Richelieu of the 21st century.

Posted by Ric on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:40 PM (EDT):

The diablo devides, then conquer. As the serpent isolated Eve from Adam, Obama is doing exactly the same strategy.
Christ gathers and unites us to Him. There will be persecutions, but He will be with His Church until the end of time. All others passed away.

Pax Christi

Posted by stilbelieve on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:23 PM (EDT):

Unfortunately, Cardinal Bernardin’s legacy is alive and well in the halls of the USCCB as evidenced by not only the dilution the original meaning of prolife by his inclusion of so-called “social justice” issues, but also by his installing the format of “collegiality” in communicating among the bishops which in effect has eunuchized them. The unborn and the Catholic laity lost the leadership needed to fight these evils we have been dealing with ever since. And the secularist Democrat Party leaders now feel brazened enough to pick our “own leaders” for us with whom they are going to dialogue. But what else would you expect from a political party that thinks murdering unborn babies is a legal thing to do?

Posted by Rafael on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:21 PM (EDT):

There’s an underlying issue here that’s being missed: If not Sister Keehan, then Obama would have found someone else to get his “Catholic” authority from that goes in line with his brand of “Catholicism”. Notice how all the “Catholics” he “consults,” or has appointed as part of his administration, have all one thing in common: they are Catholic-in-name-only and they have ex-communicated themselves based on their stances in the public square. Obama did not seek out Dolan for prior consultation: Dolan had to seek him out!!!! This is Obama telling the Chuch: “This is what I say it means to be Catholic” - and he’s using the Law to force his “Catholic agenda.” The point being missed is that OBAMA is deciding what it means to be Catholic in America. All these Catholic-in-name-only (CINO) politicians WISH that Obama was the Pope - or at least the head of the American Catholic Church. But, we all know how these CINOs ALSO feel about the ANY Pope in Rome that supports ALL the teachings of the Church…

Posted by Liz on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:20 PM (EDT):

Hey everyone,

Flood her inbox:

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Challenge her. Let her know she is NOT speaking on behalf of Catholics. Ask her to reflect upon her words, actions and leadership. Ask her to follow our Bishops. Take 2 minutes to call, write an e-mail, etc. If you don’t, who will? Phone is: (202) 296-3993.

Ironically, I just saw my security word… SPEAK33

So, speak out, Church! Come on! Rise up!

Posted by Patti Hobin on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:17 PM (EDT):

WHY do we refer to tis woman as “Sister”? She, and her “community of women”, aren’t a good example of what it is to be in the Service of God our Father. They don’t wear a habit and think they are above the Teachings of our Church. Shouldn’t we get rid of them and let them have their own brand of religion?
Get rid of Carol Keehan and let’s get a real Nun, in habit, who will work with our Bishops and gain respect for ur Church.
All priests, nuns and other religious who do not wear the required religous garb for their particular order, in the USA, is ashamed of Who they’re representing, God Himself, and we don’t need to support or respect them.

Posted by Lawrence Beaton on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:55 PM (EDT):

Who is in charge of the American Catholic Church? Secondly, how many grassroot Catholics support President Obama’s Health Bill. How many are opposed to it? Maybe the American Bishops are a little late in closing the barn door, before the horse left. Maybe when the American Bishops all speak with the same voice, will the ordinary Catholic who to follow. Imagine if all Christians, Jews and Muslims were on the same page in this matter. What would this do for Mr. Obama’s next lead-up to the American federal elections and indeed into the actual elections.

I want to make twp relevant comments. The USBCC staff and at least their president Cdl T Dolan, if not the other officers and their pertinent chairmen did not endorse Obama-Care. They had objections from the start. Do you recall Mr Obama’s tactics in dealing with Congress on the Stimulus package and the Health Care Plan? Thousands of pages, no real chance for the Congress to fully debate either one. Announced on a Friday night late, voted on Saturday and signed after a trip on Air Force One four days later out west. Now comes a telephone call to Cdl Dolan on a Friday, some details the next evening, announcing the nuking of the First Amendment. Those tactics rather than finding fault, for no reason, with the bishops’ leadeship should be the discussion, rather than picking on the heads of ND uni. and the CHA. That fits in a longer line of topics.

Posted by Maryanne on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:26 PM (EDT):

We can’t have Sisters, Nuns, or Priests “going rogue” on matters as serious as abortion and contraception. The Bishops have to take charge and follow the Cathechism. If someone in authority is misinterpreting the stand of the Catholic Church in the Public sphere, they must be removed. As has been said before, the Church has to stand for its precepts. Period.

Posted by jeanniemac on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:22 PM (EDT):

Sr. Keehan was already removed from a post at a Catholic hospital because of her abortion views. She gets a salary of over $900,000 a year as head of the Catholic Health Association. The official head of the Catholic Bishops is Cardinal Dolan of New York. He has joined the other bishops in stating “We cannot comply. We will not comply”. Sr. Keehan speaks for herself and not the church. I don’t think she will be head of the CHA for much longer. Frankly, I would not be surprised to learn this nun was a radical from the beginning and worked her way into a position of power to do just the damage she is doing.

Posted by Fran Gaspari on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:12 PM (EDT):

I don’t understand how the executive branch of our ‘checks and balances’ republic has the power to interpret the laws…If the laws are that nebulous, they should be repealed and clearer laws enacted…and by the legislative branch…The only way we’re going to fix our Country’s woes is to change Washington…shrink it and streamline it…!!!

I think the Catholic bishops have been too silent and passive regarding Sister Keenan. I saw her on the World Over interview and she was very arrogant and defensive regarding this Healthcare policy. If I had any say, she would be removed from this position and her religious order should take the appropriate action.

Posted by Janet on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:59 AM (EDT):

I think we should be grateful that we finally have Bishops who will stand up for the Church and are faithful to the Magisterium. But they must go the extra step and discipline the people like Sr. Keehan, V.P. Biden, and Nancy Pelosi who are scandalizing our faithful. Didn’t these people used to be called heretics? Please Bishops, you have to show that these people DO NOT speak for the Church.

Posted by Marcy on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:58 AM (EDT):

Thank you Jean for saying what so many are thinking. Who is in charge? As a new Catholic I am confused and disgusted. I did not realize how many radical organizations are doing business in the name of the Church ie Catholic Health Association, Pax Christie, Franciscan Action Network (a conduit of communist Van Jone’s National Resource Defense Council). I was also shocked and confused when so many Catholic leaders and nuns said that passing health reform was more important than the right to life or personal liberty. It is time to clean house and make clear the positions of the church.

Posted by carolh on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:30 AM (EDT):

Why wasent keenen & jenkins removed. They dont speak for us.

Posted by Kevin on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:20 AM (EDT):

@Jack Bartlett: “I am a Catholic convert. One of the reasons I became a Catholic was that I assumed the Roman Catholic Church stood for something.”

My wife and I are converts too. We had to remind ourselves that we were joining the universal Church; not the American Catholic church or our parish where a lesbian couple receives Communion or our dissident RCIA instructors. The Pope has been clear and even (IMHO) prophetic. The USCCB has been clear in what it says although I like many wonder why they allow dissidents to keep issuing public statements on behalf of the Church. The Church has faced bad times and moral laxity before and is still here even as all the -isms come and go.

Posted by Cy Winter on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 11:06 AM (EDT):

Mr. Doerflinger follows Obama’s lead by using the term “contraception mandate”, a watering down of the issue. The issue is much more serious than contraception. Abortion has to be front and center in our argument and discussions, otherwise Obama will win the publicity war. Most Americans don’t care about contraception. This is our practical reality, as destructive as contraception is. The term to respond to the issue must start with abortion; i.e. “abortion-contraception mandate”, or simply “abortion mandate” in order to keep the more serious part of this issue front and center, otherwise we will lose public support and play into Obama’s spinmaster’s hands.

The Bishops have only themselves to blame for this latest attack on religious Liberty-Obama care Contraceptive-insurance free taxpayer funded coverage.With Keenan at CHA and McBrien-Hesberg and Jenkins at ND etc.these heterodox so called catholic clergy no less have been running amok for years.The mediocred voters quide put out by the bishops invites this liberalism running loose and doing damage to the creedibility of the faith and the bishops to promote the faith. is WHEN in the last 40 years has there been from the pulpit a teaching from the bishops or priests on what the Catholic faith teaching on contraceptives let alone a promotion or defense of it..The bishops are now paying the price for DECADES of their silence and inaction on the basic teachings of the Catholic faith. We have many so called Catholics Malloy of Ct.. O’malley of Maryland, Coumo of NY and Siebelius, Bidem Kerry & Reid(USA) endless promotion of Homosexual & Pro Abortion-freee contraception agenda.

Posted by Philip Viverito on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:59 AM (EDT):

In regard to Catholics who use contraception and for those who publicly support the HHS and the Obama health care plan and vote for Democratic, VPs, former speakers of the house, senators and congressmen that I would believe that they by their public and private action has excommunicated themselves.

Persons in high positions in Catholic colleges and universities and appointments by the Bishops in matters of health care should and must be removed. If they had any sense of what is Catholic they should resign.

In regard to Social Justice most Catholics are not properly catechized. In my dioceses I attended a school for catechists recently for dealing properly with children as teachers and volunteers. When asked how many of the 60 or more people attending the class only 3 reported that they had a copy of The Catechism of the Catholic Church. This was shocking as how can these teachers and volunteers teach Catholicism if they do not know what the Church teaches.

Few Catholics know what the Church professes and teaches about Social Justice. Why? Because they are not catechized. This is the sin of omission. No Catholic home should be without a copy of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

It’s time the Bishops and their appointees and Catholic College Presidents wake-up and fulfill their obligation to the Church. Father Jenkins and Sister Carol must be prayed for and until they recant their failures publicly or privately they be removed from any public view. As John the Baptist cried, “REPENT!”

Posted by Floyd Alsbach on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:58 AM (EDT):

I think Sister Carol is in need of a nice long retreat… I hear Palestine is a nice place to learn what it means to be Catholic.

Posted by Gene on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:52 AM (EDT):

The Bishops by confusing their disposition for social justice and the welfare of illegal immigrants did not understand what Obamacare was when they endorsed it. Foolishly they choose the wrong path. They have again lost trust with the faithful. They need dialogue with the laity and a clear message.

Posted by dave olekarczyk on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:25 AM (EDT):

your wright sister carol should stepdown

Posted by Delano on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:11 AM (EDT):

Warning. Radical comments follow. The problem we have here is the nature of religious orders. Despite all good intentions, they are naturally “at odds” with the bishops because they exist as “more separated” entities with their own independent governance. Orders began to evolve in earnest in the 6th-7th century. Yes, they have done wonderful things and produced wonderful saints. But really, any close examination of them and all their problems once they get going reveals they are nothing more than “churches within the church”. It’s hard enough keeping bishops and clergy orthodox and in unity. Having other layers of organizations within the church with their own mindsets, philosophies, agendas. Maybe Vatican III (if the Lord does not return first) will address this, but probably not since it is too radical to consider. For those who are hurt by these comments.. where is the biblical evidence of religious orders? The Early Church simply did not have them. Unity, in my humble view, is not served by it. Maybe orders that only exist within a diocese subject directly to one bishop would be the answer and not the “cross diocese, more universal” orders who wield power against bishops.

Posted by Linda on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 10:00 AM (EDT):

Somebody fire Carol Keehan and Fr. Jenkins. They are part of the problem. We have one leader. They caused all of the healthcare problems with the senators who took bribes for their votes. What a fake! Thanks Bart Stupak and his group for all these problems. Never listen to the devil!

Posted by Kevin on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 9:58 AM (EDT):

@The last man: “Too many Bishops have marched to the pied piper of social justice.”

Social justice is part of the teaching of the Church. The problem is when the phrase becomes confused with a reflexive support of the secular leftist agenda. True social justice is rooted in the identity of each as us as created in God’s image. As such there will be times when we differ from those who claim the mantle of social justice but whose root assumptions are materialistic, resulting morality is relative, and method is coercion.

Posted by Kevin on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 9:49 AM (EDT):

Here’s a suggestion: Sister Carol and all others in similar positions, when asked to make a public statement that is implicitly or explicitly on behalf of Catholics, defer to the USCCB. Or better yet, we should all revisit the idea that authority in the Church is with the Magesterium, not the pronouncements of those politicians or nuns who share the press’s agenda.

Posted by mary kuziel on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 9:00 AM (EDT):

Hello….Any Bishops out there available to do their job of teaching? Why is Sister being fooled again? Where is her Bishop? Amen to the Bishops being in the back pocket of the Democrat party and a good number of sisters also. I’m glad this issue is shining the light of truth on all of this. It’s about time.

Posted by D.Mathis on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 8:56 AM (EDT):

Why does Sister Keehan still have a job? Seems to me she needs an extensive period of SILENT reflection to discern whether she is truly a Catholic or needs to move on to another “calling”.

Posted by Joanne S. on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 8:13 AM (EDT):

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan was on EWTN’s Sunday Night Prime with Fr. Benedict Groeschel to talk about the HHS mandate. At the time the show was taped, Obama’s “accommodation” hadn’t yet been announced, and Dolan was mentioning how even Sr. Carol Keehan was disappointed by the mandate. In short, he gave this nun credibility so that when she was pleased with the accomomodation it seemed to echo a lot more.

It also bothered me that Dolan seemed to think that the mandate was somehow a “mistake” by Obama that could be corrected. He did not want to believe it was ideology etc. driving it. So naive!

Posted by Anthony on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 8:10 AM (EDT):

The leadership exibited by many American bishops has for a long time seemed abysmal. This issue illustrates the problem. God’s Holy Catholic Church has long ago replaced the postal service as the worst managed outfit in the U.S. What kind of example are we? Not very impressive as guardians of truth, to the faithful or unfaithful.

Posted by Mary@42 on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 7:27 AM (EDT):

My good and beloved American Catholics. I do not see why you are confused. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church teachings on Faith and Morals, IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, UNEQUIVOCAL AND UNCHANGING. ONLY THE BISHOPS HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND THE POWER TO SPEAK FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Their Voice is the Voice of the Universal Catholic Church, the Voice of Jesus Christ Himself. That misguided Nun is on her own. By the very fact that she has consistently and at all times supported that which the Catholic Church teaches is intrinsically evil : i.e. abortion, sterilization, same-sex marriages, euthanasia, stem cell experiments - she has AUTOMATICALLY EX-COMMUNICATED HERSELF FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. The same goes for all those pseudo Catholics in the Obama Administration. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives an authentic, emphatic Teaching on the evils and sins which, when one commits them, one automatically ex-communicates oneself from the Catholic Church

Posted by Mike T on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:57 AM (EDT):

Plain and simply Sister Carol Keehan is usurping the authority of the teachers- the Bishops. She is proclaiming the equivalent of an endorsement regarding an issue that affects Catholicism entirely regarding matters of Faith and Morals. The lone individuals provided such authority are Bishops in union with the Vicar of Christ, the Pope- Period. In making early proclamations without the involvement and consent of her Bishop (and collectively all the US Bishops) she in essence is usurping the authority of her Bishop. A serious violation. She needs to be reprimanded openly spiritually and/or also fired for taking such a position. This would correct this problem and ensure Obama and all future governmental conflicts that nothing goes on in the Church without the authorization of the local Bishop’s approval! ...and the end of her personally smush relationship with the administration.

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 4:03 AM (EDT):

Call Fr. Gary Gay, Superior General of the Vincentians in Rome and the Superior General of the Daughters in Paris, both are Sister Carol’s superiors. He can order Sr. Carol under obedience to resign.

Posted by Maggie McC on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:58 AM (EDT):

Sister Carol is not a nun, but a religious sister. Would that she were a nun and cloistered!

Posted by tina on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:45 AM (EDT):

that a boy obama, throw everyone at each other’s throat and create chaos and mayhem. What a transformational president you turned out to be. I am sure the good Catholic nun is real proud of ya!

Posted by Richard on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 1:00 AM (EDT):

As of Monday the CHA website is saying that it will be studying the Obama ‘accommodation’ further. So one can hope that they will be coming up with an updated position soon.

Posted by michael on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:28 AM (EDT):

Keehan is a nun in name only. She has been a dupe of the Obama administration from the beginning. The fact that the good bishop fails to respond insinuates that he also is a potential zipper mouth for said administration.

Posted by Stephen Cush on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:21 AM (EDT):

Where is the very clear statement from Sr. Carol’s bishop that sets the record straight ... that she does NOT speak for the Church. Period.

Posted by Jack Bartlett on Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2012 12:08 AM (EDT):

I am a Catholic convert. One of the reasons I became a Catholic was that I assumed the Roman Catholic Church stood for something. If we cannot stand united against free contraception and abortion, then what can we stand for? Those so-called Catholics who continue to speak and govern with values contrary to fundamental doctrine, should not be given positions of authority, including Sister Carol and Fr. Jenkins at Notre Dame, who shamelessly allowed religious figures to be covered during a visit by the president to his university. Enough is enough.

Posted by J on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 11:58 PM (EDT):

I have read through the comments and have not seen anything addressing what the calculus of the Obama administration must be. Two observations: It seems to me that the administration is playing to the emotions of women in this country. It is pitting all women and specifically Catholic women against the church. Their implied question to women is who is in control of your body, you or the church? Why else would the sister mentioned above be consulted without a word being said to the president of the Catholic Bishops? It is an arrogant in your face gesture by this administration!

Second observation: the Obama administration’s strategy seems to be mounting an offensive against the church teaching involving contraception. Rush Limbaugh today, quoted Dick Morris, political strategist, on his theory of the above. You can get details at http://www.rushlimbaugh.com Basically what he is saying is that the media and the Obama administration seem to be coordinating an attack on what they perceive to be a weakness in all the republican candidate’s political base. This started with G. Stephanapoulos asking Romney with the ‘leftfield’ question about birth control and state’s possibly banning contraception. He did so during a recent ABC debate. Remember how surprised Romney was at the question? Now comes the HHS ruling and the above support by the nun for the so called modification by Obama. Elsewhere MediaMatters is accused of writing copy for the left wing MSNBC broadcasts. My question is if it is true that the Obama administration and several news media are coordinating attacks, or if there is even the slightest suspicion that the above is happening, why is there not more outrage about how the major news media is pandering to the administration?

Posted by Peter on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:58 PM (EDT):

She must be removed by her board of directors immediately. They must take back charge of the organization. Who is on the Board of CHA???

Posted by Kim on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:58 PM (EDT):

A Catholic nun sure as heck has no authority to circumvent the Bishops on Faith and morals. She is way outta line. I am tired of so called Catholics piece mailing the Catholic faith. If you dont believe in all Her “the Catholic Chuch” teachings then dont professs u r a Catholic.

Posted by irishsmile on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:57 PM (EDT):

The Keehan/Jenkins types who put cheap politics before their Catholic Faith need to be silenced by the bishops!!!

Posted by Linus on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:25 PM (EDT):

You may not like this ” Nun ” and I may not, but women’s religious orders in the health care field back her up. Just check out their web sites. To them, she is the Pope, or at least that is the way they regard her positions. Of course, the Bishops aren’t any better. Many of us tried to warn them not to have anything to do with ” Affordable Care ” when it was being debated, but they broke their necks to broker a last minute deal, which everyone with any brains knew was a sham. The really sad thing is there was more than enough that was morally and constitutionally wrong with that bill ( as the uninformed are now finding out,) that it should have been condemned by the bishops out of hand. It really does make one wonder what in the world is wrong with them. I wonder how many wolves are in their ranks?

Posted by David on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:15 PM (EDT):

Unfortunately I think Sister Carol was out to save her “precious” (a federal health care plan), Obama knew it and took advantage of her. But she is culpable here, she ought to know better.

Posted by Robbins Mitchell on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 10:04 PM (EDT):

Well,“Sister” Keehan has snapped one mackerel too many this time…I bet she still thinks that the end justifies the means….now she needs to be a good conventeer and take a vow of perpetual silence with the Sisters of the Easily Chumped

Posted by helene lipke on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 9:55 PM (EDT):

Does Keehan realize she is a pawn of the Administration? Maybe she should try on the papal robes that the Grammy performer wore for size. She has certainly skipped ahead of the bishops in Obama’s mind.

I wonder if Sister Carol sold her soul for 30 pieces of silver…I heard that she makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $800K per year. Why would a nun needs this kind of money?

Posted by Margaret on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 9:13 PM (EDT):

I am worn out with asking this question but I will ask it again: Why is Sister Carol allowed to keep her position and speak out in public?
Can someone please post a list of her superiors so that we can petition them to please find a place for her where she can do no further harm!
And yes, I do realize that she is so prideful that she would probably not accept correction and would probably leave her order but wouldn’t that be better for everyone? It would certainly be less confusing to the faithful.
And no, it wouldn’t make the Church look like a bully because this is how it goes in any organization. Imagine if Biden grew a spine and spoke out against Obama… How long do you think it would take before he was shipped out to keep an eye on things in the Aleutian Islands?
What kind of organization can’t keep it’s people in line? We are getting walked on now because we have been acting like doormats ever since Kennedy’s speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in 1960.

I am a Canadian but from what I have heard so far I would have to say that USCCB must speak with one voice which of course would mean that for “now” Sister Carol “must” remain silent, I am sure that The White House would just love to conquer and dived hence the Church speaking with one voice.

Posted by rosemarie kury on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 8:51 PM (EDT):

How in the world did this so-called nun become head of this organization? My great-aunt was a Sister of Charity who worked in a Catholic hospital, and I bet that she’d be “rolling in her grave” not to mention the Founder, St. Vincent de Paul who loved the poor but was always obedient to the church.

She should have resigned earlier, and the Bishops should have the say who runs this organization. There are plenty of good talented Catholic lay people around that are good in administration and would be obedient to the Church.

This shows the feminist thing of the sixties is far from dead, and I am so disappointed that there are many more “modern” nuns that feel that way,

Posted by Bob on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 8:48 PM (EDT):

Maybe the administration was confused about who runs things for the bishops? Or, perhaps, they don’t care, because no one get excommunicated anymore anyway.

Also on February 10, 2012, the AJCU statement on change to HHS mandate for religious institutions:

Washington, DC - The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) acknowledges and appreciates the compromise that President Obama has made to accommodate religious institutions in regard to the birth control mandate under the Affordable Care Act. We commend the Obama Administration for its willingness to work with us on moving toward a solution, and we look forward to working out the details of these new regulations with the White House.

Posted by TheInformer on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 8:36 PM (EDT):

How many times!!!! Did I have to correct a patient who thought it was a Catholic hospital, simply because it had “Catholic” in its name! Now it’s called “Dignity Healthcare” so they can explore other areas of the healthcare business. Sorry y’all. But NOW? you want to stand up for Catholic principles when for YEARS the Squishops and Priests have fed us pablum and softsoap! TOO LITTLE TOO LATE!

Posted by Bernadette. on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 8:23 PM (EDT):

I pray that clarification comes about and that the shepherds are ready to defend and protect their flock and faith. We will not compromise our Faith, it is the major part of who we are.

God bless.

Posted by Catherine Boyle on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 7:51 PM (EDT):

This so called nun needs to resign. She is in love with herself instead of the Lord. I wish the Pope would advise her. She is not a Bride of Christ.

Posted by Yolanda Munoz on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 7:48 PM (EDT):

Seems to me that Sister Carol is NOT speaking on behalf of the Catholic faithful. I think she should step aside. Such conflicting statements confuse, divide and pretend to conquer. We must be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Posted by Peep on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 7:42 PM (EDT):

Time for excommunications. That’s the only way to show that the Catholic Church is a separate entity to the state - Let’s remember St. Thomas of Canterbury!

Posted by S Flory on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 7:37 PM (EDT):

Sister Carole Keehan should not be allowed to make public statements on health care that conflict with the Catholic Bishops. She should be silenced. Now all we need is the bishops to muster courage and do so. The question rises as who is in charge of the Catholic Church ? If our bishops had done their job earlier the Faithful would be cheering instead or feeling abandoned.

Al Kresta interviewed Bishop Lori on 2/13/2012. Kresta asked Bishop Lori if the WH conferred with the bishops. Bp Lori said there was no prior consultation with the bishops. They found out about it shortly before it was announced. He recounts watching one of the Sunday talk shows where the White House Chief of Staff, Jack Lew, was interviewed. He said that the Chief of Staff said said something like, “we really don’t know who to talk to in the Catholic Church”. Bishop Lori said that respect for religious liberty is knowing how a church is organized…. and we’ve been around for a while, and everyone knows we are organized… [the rest of his response was priceless, but I can’t type it all out]

It is high time for the bishops of this country to collectively take up the crosier that they set aside and forgot about for the past few decades. The bishop’s staff is a symbol of his readiness to defend his flock, as a shepherd—ready to fight to protect his sheep from the wolves. Now, more than ever, we need our bishops to declare the faith and to separate from the flock those who are no more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. If that requires public denunciation of key figures, then so be it. People like Carol Keehan and Douglas Kmiec are leading countless faithful into confusion and error; the bishops MUST oppose them and declare, for all to hear, that they are not of one mind with Holy Mother Church. As a young adult, I can look around and see the damage that these people are doing to my generation, but I can also see that many amongst the youth thirst for the bishops to lead and revive the Church in America. this is a golden opportunity, I pray our bishops seize it.

Posted by June Vendetti on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 6:54 PM (EDT):

I am not surprised at this at all. Sr. Carol Keehan does not always speak in defense of the Church’s teachings. She really should be replaced. The fact that people are getting conflicting statements about the status of this issue is proof that something needs to be done. This is a crucial time for the Church; we need to have someone who will speak on our behalf, and who will fight for our rights. This is vital for all Catholics who work in the healthcare field, as well as all Catholics whose rights of conscience are being threatened.

Posted by David on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 6:38 PM (EDT):

It would be wonderful if Sister Carol publicly withdrew her support.
Other than that, she cannot speak for or against this. It’s in the Bishops hands.

Posted by William J Quinn on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 6:36 PM (EDT):

Sisre Keehan and Father Jenkins should be removed from office.

Posted by Matt Watkins on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 6:24 PM (EDT):

Is it time to call for Sister Carol’s resignation?

Posted by Bay Area on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 6:22 PM (EDT):

“The administration engaged in no substantive consultation with Catholic bishops, who were only called to receive pronouncements.”

Just like the bishops engage in no substantive consultation with the laity, who are only the recipients of pronouncements. Feels a little different when the shoe is on the other foot, huh?

Posted by CHRIS VIDRINE on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 5:52 PM (EDT):

THE USCCB NEEDS TO BE THE ONLY SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. LIBERAL CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS HAVE NO BUSINESS SPEAKING FOR THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL.

Posted by JOHN GRONDELSKI on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 5:49 PM (EDT):

The American Bishops failed to exercise their episcopal leadership in the first instance when Keehan and her allies undercut them, providing the political cover for Obamacare to be enacted without specific pro-life provisions in it. As usual, the default “make nice have an eternal dialogue” position prevailed among the Bishops. Hopefully, after they have expended as much political capital as they have on this current threat to our common religious freedom, they might start with cleaning house, first among those who actually do work in Church-related institutions (e.g., Sr. Keehan who, as a religious, can be invited to an appropriate desk jobs someplace in Mongolia) as well as its members (start with Secretary Sibelius and Joe Biden).

Posted by The last man on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 5:28 PM (EDT):

If not now ,when? Through off the yoke of liberalism and decadence. Too many Bishops have marched to the pied piper of social justice.

Posted by The last man on Tuesday, Feb, 14, 2012 5:23 PM (EDT):

Well I don’t want to create controversy but I ask people much wiser than me. Why are not people that constantly flaunt their opposition to Church teaching,ie. most Catholic Democrats not excommunicated for their contributions to the abortion cause? I am a former seminarian quite familiar with the relationships of Bishops with democrat politicians. Paul Rahe in his current article in Ricochet nails the problem.

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